Annabeth's Last Chance
by Bluewater7
Summary: Annabeth is gravely injured protecting Percy's Achilles' heel again and has one last trick up her sleeve to try and get Percy to remember her.  Song-fic based on A Little Fall Of Rain from Les Misérables. Takes place after finding Percy and the Romans.


_Disclaimer: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _or _Heroes of Olympus_. They belong to Rick Riordan. The song, _A Little Fall Of Rain,_ is from the musical, _Les Misérables.

**Annabeth's Last Chance**

By: Bluewater7

The battle for Mt. Olympus – the physical one in Greece, not the one on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building – was raging. Roman and Greek demigods battled furiously against the advancing Giants. Both the Hunters of Artemis and Diana had even joined us in the fight. I couldn't help but think back to the fight to protect Olympus from Kronos and his forces.

There had originally been just the seven of us here. Jason, Piper, Leo, Percy, Reyna, Hazel, and I had come as the seven half-bloods from the prophecy. There had been a disagreement as to how many Greeks and Romans should be here. The Romans hadn't wanted to come, stating that Mr. Olympus was where our version of the gods lived and that we should be the ones responsible for it. Jason had announced that he intended to help us, which caused not only a large uproar, but also some volunteers. Reyna had insisted on going, which had caused some problems on the way here as she was still clearly in love with Jason, but Piper was too. Hazel had agreed to come because she said that we would need someone that was decent in healing, but I had been extremely grateful that that had been the excuse she had provided to keep Gwendolyn out of the trip. Hazel and I had become rather good friends and she knew how badly affected I was by how Percy still couldn't remember me. Gwendolyn had not been helping this by constantly trying to convince him that he was not a Greek and belonged with her.

Percy. I had been so thrilled to see him again, although I had kept my distance as he admitted he only remembered vague images and feelings. He could recall Grover and Luke. He could tell me that he felt distrustful of the Stoll brothers and was fearful of Clarisse. Clarisse had admitted to me that that had hurt since he didn't seem to remember how their relationship had changed over the years. Clarisse had been my support system after Percy had vanished and was still my confident when I was able to Iris-Message her.

That was how everyone else had ended up here. I had been telling Clarisse about what I thought our odds of survival would be given the number and strength of the giants, when Leo had shouted that the giants were advancing. How Clarisse had managed to get everyone here in less that a week when it had taken us about a month was still a mystery to me, but I didn't care right now.

The strange thing about Percy not remembering was that he still fought just like he used to. When I asked Jason if the fighting styles differed between the Greeks and Romans, he told me no but also suggested that Hera might have let Percy keep those memories as they would have helped him survive at the Roman camp. I had to admit that that was more likely as Percy and I had immediately fallen back into our old fighting habits. Right now, we were standing back to back as warriors sprung up from the ground around us. I ducked as Percy spun around to decapitate the warrior in front of me. I rolled around him and stabbed the warrior that was now behind Percy in the stomach before slicing off one of its arms. I turned in time to see another warrior throw a spear directly at Percy's back – where his Achilles' heel was. I didn't even stop to think as I threw myself in front of it – just like I had during the battle for Manhattan. The spear caught me in the stomach and I screamed.

"Annabeth!" Percy shouted. I don't know how his voice carried over the sounds of the battlefield, but it seemed like everyone heard him. I heard shouts and roars from my friends and siblings as I collapsed.

The sky had darkened and suddenly lighting was everywhere as Jason electrocuted the giant he, Leo, and Piper had been leading a force against. Another figure was shooting silver arrows at everything in her path as she made her way towards us. I almost smiled as I thought of how Thalia, my oldest friend, would be here with me. I could hear Clarisse's roar of anger as she fought her way towards us as well. She had already lost one of her closest friends, Silena, during the last war and I knew she would go crazy if I died. Hazel and some of the other Apollo kids – whether they were Greek or Roman or both, I had no idea – were also trying to get over to us. Hazel had promised that she wouldn't let anything happen to me, but I knew that she wouldn't be able to keep that promise now. A large number of skeleton warriors appeared around Percy and me and battled back the warriors that Percy and I had been trying to get rid of. I prayed that Nico didn't pass out from the large amount of energy he would have needed to raise that many warriors. At least I could count on Nico updating me on what was happening when I passed on. The protective circle around us gave Percy the chance to crouch next to me.

"Annabeth, why would you do something like that?" He asked. His black hair was sticking to his forehead and his sea green eyes were filled with worry as he looked at me.

"Could you help me pull this spear out?" I asked, avoiding his question. "I don't want to go to the Underworld like this."

Percy looked like he was going to object, but he thought better of it as he quickly twisted the spear and pulled it out. He pressed his hand onto the wound and propped me up with the other one. "You're not going to die, Annabeth."

I smiled weakly. If only he had sounded confident. We both knew that the chances of my survival were slim, especially since neither of us had any nectar or ambrosia with us. I still wished that he could remember who I was, what I meant to him, what we had had together. I had a sudden idea. I hated that this would be the only time to use it. Maybe Aphrodite had known that this was coming and had given me those tickets for this reason.

Before Percy had disappeared, Aphrodite had given me a gift as a thank-you for the work I had done redesigning Olympus after the war – two tickets to see the musical, _Les Misérables_, on Broadway before we went to Camp Half-Blood for the winter. Neither of us had seen it and Percy wasn't big on the idea of going to a musical, but we went so we wouldn't insult her. It had been our first real date and we had both fallen in love with the show so much that we had learned most of the songs, especially seeing as some of them reflected the feelings we had regarding the loss of those close to us during the war. And as I lay here, knowing that I was dying, I forgot that we were in the middle of a battle. I had to see if that would help Percy remember everything. There was one song that had caused us both to cry and we had learned it first, mostly because we knew that there was a very real possibility that one or both of us would die in battle. That was one of the dangers of being a demigod.

I began to sing. "_Don't you fret, M'sieur Perseus._" I had thought about using Marius' name, but decided that I should make this more personal. Especially now that this might be the last thing I ever say to Percy. I continued the song as I tried to wipe Percy's hair out of his eyes.

"_I don't feel any pain_

_A little fall of rain_

_Can hardly hurt me now_

_You're here. That's all I need to know_" I began to feel tears gather in my eyes as I remembered that Percy was not completely here.

"_And you will keep me safe_

_And you will keep me close_

_And rain will make the flowers grow._" I paused.

Percy took my hand and brushed it against his lips. I was beyond surprised to hear him sing the next part.

"_But you will live Anna –_" he choked on my name. "_Dear gods above._

_If I could heal your wounds with words of love._"

Tears began to spill down my face as I watched Percy's eyes. They had a new spark to them – a spark of recognition – that I knew meant that he remembered.

"_Just hold me now, and let it be._

_Shelter me, comfort me._"

Percy looked up, almost desperately searching the battlefield for anyone that could help me, but everyone was still too far away. "_You would live a hundred years_

_If I could show you how_

_I won't desert you now_" Percy promised me as tears began to spill down his face as well.

I tried to reassure him, much like Eponine had tried to reassure Marius in the show. "_The rain can't hurt me now_

This rain will wash away what's past

_And you will keep me safe_

_And you will keep me close_

_I'll sleep in your embrace at last._

_The rain that brings you_

_Is heaven blessed_

_The skies begin to clear_

_And I'm at rest._" The relief on my face was more from the fact that Percy remembered me at last, but I didn't stop singing to tell him that.

"_A breath away from where you are_

_I've come home from so far._" It was true – I felt more at home in his arms right now than I had since he had disappeared. Percy began to sing at the same time as me, but using different words.

"_So don't you fret, M'sieur Perseus/Hush-a-bye, dear Annabeth_" I heard Percy sing softly as if he knew that I was actually beginning to slip away. I could see Clarisse and Thalia almost to us. Percy didn't notice as we continued our duet.

"_I don't feel any pain/You won't feel any pain_

_A little fall of rain_

_Can hardly hurt me now./Can hardly hurt you now._"

Percy sang the words that almost caused me to stop singing from sobbing too much. "_I'm here._"

"_That's all I need to know._" I told him honestly. It was true. I could pass on happily knowing that he was back and that I had found him.

"_And you will keep me safe/I will stay with you till you are sleeping_

_And you will keep me close_"

Nico was standing nearby. I could see Hazel a few feet away, but she wasn't going to make it in time. Thalia and Clarisse were about even with Hazel. I focused on getting through the song.

"_And rain_" I sang. Percy repeated my words. He repeated the next line after me as well. "_Will make the flowers…_"

I felt my eyes close as I heard Percy sing the last word. "_Grow._" My spirit was gone the next second.

* * *

><p>Percy looked at Annabeth's body. "Annabeth? Annabeth?" She didn't answer him and he had a horrible feeling that she would never answer him again. A shadow appeared over her and Percy looked up to see Nico.<p>

"Percy, there's nothing you can do for her." Nico said. "She's gone. I'm sorry. I don't know if you remember how much she meant to you, but –"

"I remember, Nico." Percy's voice was quiet. Nico's confirmation that Annabeth had died was the only thing that stopped Percy from insisting that it wasn't true. Being the son of Hades, Nico would know the truth. "The song, it sparked something and I remembered everything."

"What song?" Hazel asked as she knelt down next to Percy.

"_A Little Fall Of Rain_." Percy answered as he carefully placed Annabeth's head on the ground. He looked around to see that the battle seemed to have paused. Most of the demigods were coming over.

"Isn't that from _Les Misérables_?" Hazel asked. Percy nodded. "I thought so. I didn't know that you knew that show."

"Aphrodite gave Annabeth tickets and we went on our first date there. Annabeth insisted that we learn the lyrics to the songs that meant something to us. I didn't want to learn this one, but she said that we needed to since it was likely that one of us would die in battle." Percy choked. "I don't think she planned for this to happen."

"Annabeth!" Thalia shouted. She looked at Nico and Percy. "Please tell me that she isn't dead." When neither of them spoke, Thalia sank to her knees. "No. I knew that I would outlive her when I agreed to be a Hunter, but she should still have years before her. How did it happen?"

Percy recounted what had happened in the battle. He didn't include how he and Annabeth had spent her final moments singing to each other.

"You remember us and everything, don't you?" Clarisse asked. Percy looked up at her, surprised, but nodded. "Somehow I don't think it has to do with how she saved your worthless life. What did she do, Prissy?"

"She started singing." The words rushed out of his mouth. "A song from _Les Misérables_."

To his surprise, Clarisse merely nodded. "Princess told me that she might if it came down to a last resort. We need to prepare her body."

"No!" Percy shouted. Everyone stared at him.

"Percy…" Hazel muttered softly. "You know that we have to do it."

"Can't it wait?" Percy looked at Thalia and Clarisse. "I want her to have her funeral rites at Camp Half-Blood. That was her home. She deserves that much. Chiron and her family have the right to be there. Please."

Clarisse sighed. "I hate the fact that you're making sense. I'll IM Chiron and ask him what he thinks would be best."

"Thanks." Percy said.

"We should at least move her body onto the Argo II." Jason suggested. "That way we don't have to worry about anything happening to her body. Hazel, go with Percy and clean up her body."

Percy stood, planning on carrying Annabeth's body back on his own, but Clarisse stopped him. "You're not going through this alone. She led our camp after you disappeared and she's my friend. I'm going to help whether you like it or not."

"Me too." Thalia said. "I've known her the longest and it has been my privilege to have known her. If anyone is going to help move her, it will be me."

"Thank you." Percy said. The three of them lifted Annabeth's body carefully. The campers from both camps and the Hunters allowed them to pass. Most of the campers were crying. Percy wished that he could venture down to the Underworld to save her. He would have to wait for the day when he joined her. He would have killed himself just to join her but he was afraid that Annabeth would be furious. He knew that it wasn't his fault that he had disappeared, but he could now understand her pain.

The three of them placed Annabeth's body in a private room and left to allow Hazel time to clean her up. When Hazel finally exited the room, she had something in her hand. "Percy, this was in her pocket."

Percy took it, but didn't look at it. He waited until everyone had left and then moved to sit next to Annabeth's body before he opened what Hazel had handed him. It was a picture of himself and Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood. There was a message written on the back.

_I will always love you, Seaweed Brain._

_Please Review and let me know what you think._


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